Zaarly Helps Shoppers Navigate Black Friday

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - Nov 22, 2011) - As people scour print ads, shopping sites and coupon blogs looking for the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, one thing has become clear: Apps and mobile commerce are changing how people navigate the days after Thanksgiving.

Google predicts that 15 percent of "Black Friday" searches will be from mobile devices and a recent survey by JiWire found that 70 percent of mobile shoppers made more purchases in 2011 than they did in 2010 with a smartphone.

Another example of this paradigm shift is being seen on mobile marketplaces. For example, mobile-commerce app Zaarly is seeing a spike in shopping-related requests, with more than 50 requests already made this weekend looking for individuals who are willing to serve as "personal shoppers" on Friday. On Zaarly, people post what they want, when they want it and how much they're willing to pay. Then, Zaarly's community of users gets to work fulfilling the request.

Behind the Numbers

• 50+ Zaarly requests from people looking to hire Black Friday shoppers (willing to pay as much as $200 for someone to shop for them on Black Friday)
• More than 175 people have offered their services to be personal shoppers for these requests
• Best Buy is the most popular store mentioned
• Flatscreen TVs are the most popular items.
• A creative Zaarly request: Someone is willing to pay for a reserved parking spot, close to the entrance.

How can shoppers "hack" Black Friday? It's easy: Find a deal you want and create a request on Zaarly offering to pay someone else part of your savings in exchange for picking it up and bringing it to you. Then, get your favorite doorbuster deal without ever leaving your home. For specific examples, visit the Zaarly blog.

To learn more about how Zaarly is changing the way people buy and sell during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, or to interview a Zaarly founder about Black Friday trends, email heather@Zaarly.com.

About Zaarly
Zaarly is the new way to buy and sell with people nearby. Buyers post what they want and what they're willing to pay via any mobile device or the web. Sellers respond and can communicate directly with buyers. Zaarly offers anything buyers are looking for, including products, services/tasks and experiences. Based in San Francisco, CA, Zaarly is backed by investors, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Sands Capital Ventures, Ashton Kutcher, Felicis Ventures, Bill Lee, Naval Ravikant, Lightbank, SV Angel, Paul Buchheit, Thrive Capital, Marc Ecko and Michael Arrington. Zaarly is currently available on the web, mobile web, Android and iPhone application. Visit www.zaarly.com for more information.

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Mobile marketplaces, such as Zaarly, are seeing a surge of activity as shoppers prepare for Black Friday.

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